La Dee-vina Comedia

Assuming Oliver won't be back and that Fritsch will miss, I'd bring in van Rooyen to play Smith's role. Smith survives to play Fritch's role. Harmes was a liability yesterday. I think it's either Jordon or someone new to replace him. If Howes is ready, does he come into the backline and Rivers goes midfield? Or is Woewodin the one who comes in as a direct replacement? I'm unfussed about whether Melksham or Jordon (if he's not picked in the main squad) as the sub. So, my suggested changes are: Out: Fritsch (inj) and Harmes (omitted) In: van Rooyen and one of Jordon/Howes/Woewodin

6. Viney 5. Petracca 4. May 3. Hunter 2. Langdon 1. Neal-Bullen (yes, really)

And he's standing next to former Carlton player, Milham Hanna.

I really hope this is not a typo. For everyone's sake, I hope you weren't intending to type "bitter".

The sub won't be announced until Sunday. You may be misreading the post that references Spargo as the sub who played last round and is not selected in the final squad...but he can still be chosen to be the sub. (Could the AFL find a more complicated way to announce teams?)

That could be done. That would presumably result in less revenue for the broadcaster which would then translate to lower rights payments to the AFL.

I agree - it was poorly worded. I certainly wasn't trying to be critical of those players in any way. What I was trying to say, but obviously poorly, was that the club was a perennial failure in the period 1965 through to 2018 so that any forward struggled to get the opportunity to kick goals. And I agree that Greg Parke was the best mark of his era. I thoroughly enjoyed watching him play.

That's a pretty sad list of full forwards if you compare with some others. Hawthorn: Hudson, Dunstall, Peck, Franklin, Moncrieff (plus Brereton and Matthews) Sydney: Lockett, Hall, Franklin Geelong: Hawkins, Wade, Donohoe, Ablett Sr, Brownless

That seems to be the unwritten MFC rule, although illness or injury can mean a player is a late withdrawal. As I see the proposed interchange selections, the final squad should include one of the tall forwards (Brown or van Rooyen), one of the tall defenders (Petty or Tomlinson) and one of the small forwards (Pickett or Spargo) plus one of Melksham or Bowey. Given we're one shy of a full complement of small defenders, (presuming Sparrow doesn't actually play HBF as selected) I assume of those two it will be Bowey. My best guess will be an interchange of Bowey, Pickett, Brown and Petty with either Melksham or Tomlinson as the sub.

Weideman's a German name. They're obviously related.

I know you like your "lols". But what's the first lol supposed to mean? You're laughing out loud because a player's career, in your view, has come to an end?

I'm astounded that Mark Williams wasn't already in the Hall of Fame.

20%? Compare with this study, which says the prevalence rate of problem gambling in Victoria is 0.81% of all adults. See here: https://responsiblegambling.vic.gov.au/resources/publications/study-of-gambling-and-health-in-victoria-findings-from-the-victorian-prevalence-study-2014-72/ Quote: "The prevalence of problem gambling in adult Victorians is 0.81 per cent (35,500 people). While the percentage has not changed significantly since 2008"

At this stage, it's just an Australian Parliamentary report. Which recommendations are adopted remains to be seen.

Nicely argued. The point about funding integrity is a good one to make.

The Federal Parliament's committee looking at online gambling has released its report today. In no surprise to anyone, it recommends a ban on all advertising and sponsorship, to be implemented over four years. I'm not particularly interested in prosecuting the argumenmt for or against the ban. What I am interested in is the effect of the lost revenue on the AFL, either as direct payments by betting companies or from reduced broadcast rights which are likely to follow. The AFL (or VFL) has previously had to manage when tobacco advertising and sponsorship was banned. But where's the replacement revenue going to come from this time? Different advertisers? Increased ground entry fees? Increased membership fees? Or will costs be cut, and if so, where? Player salaries?

Engineering wouldn't be the only problem (if, indeed it were to be a problem). Ownership of the air rights above the road could be more complex than it seems. I know that building bridges over the railway line next to the MCG was delayed for years because no-one could decide who had responsibility for maintaining the bridges.

They got there a bit earlier than that. It's now 47.3%. It could, of course, get back over 50...or below 45 by the end of the year.

Let's forget the "travel for the players" as being an issue for two reasons. Firstly, every club outside Victoria travels more than any Victorian club having to travel almost every second week. Secondly, what did most players do over the bye? They got on a plane and travelled to the Gold Coast.

I just looked through this thread. Not one person gave Pickett votes (including me). Yet the The Age had him as one of the best five on the ground by including him (and Petracca) in their votes. Not sure about anyone else, but that certainly surprises me.

Do you mean more than other interstate trips? If so, in what way? For example, is it not a direct flight?

There is another possible reason why Collingwood doesn't play in Geelong. We all know the State government has been happy to fund the redevelopment of the stadium because it is in an area with a few marginal electorates. But has the government adequately funded the Police? With insufficient police numbers in Geelong, hosting a Collingwood game with its supporters is a much higher community risk than having the safer Melbourne supporters in town.

You're assuming, of course, that the extra home game would be played at the MCG. It could be scheduled at Marvel.

Was Petty moved forward to play defensively on Stewart or as a genuine attacking forward? And who did he replace?

6. Viney 5. Salem 4. Rivers 3. Petracca 2. Hunter 1. Langdon I felt like giving Stewart votes. He positioned brilliantly to allow us to pinpoint kicks to him with unerring accuracy.